Thursday, April 24, 2008

I frequently remember my dreams - and learn a lot about myself from them. Won't tell you some of the crazier ones, but this one really hit me today!

As some of you know, we're planning on going to Hawaii in May - YAY! We're so excited to celebrate our graduations as well as my birthday - can't wait. In the meanwhile, David's cramming for his boards and I am working lots of hours to store up extra time for the trip. Needless to say: we're tired.

So, here's the dream: I was on a 15 day trip in Hawaii with David and a tour group. They ran us ragged with activities, lectures, presentations, and tourist traps - we were constantly on the go. It wasn't until a couple days before we were leaving the islands that I realized: I STILL HAVEN'T LAID ON THE BEACH - not even once! I was pasty white, not tanned. I was exhausted, not relaxed. I cried and cried as I realized that I had used up my whole Hawaii trip rushing around instead of relaxing. I protested to the group and told them that I didn't care if they all hated me: I was laying on the beach until we had to go back home! I was going to lay in the sun and do NOTHING except read good books! So there!

When I awoke this morning, I realized the significance of this dream. It was like my subconscious mind said to me, "Hey, Erika! You need to STOP and REST a little bit! You're missing out on the important things in life!"

The layout below (my first non-picture page - quite the challenge for me to break out of that "rule" in scrapping that we have to use pictures) really shows what I'm feeling... It reads:"When will I learn that life is not measured in minutes but moments?Lesson #1: God's will never requires more time than He gives us - Seek His will instead of your own and be peaceful.Confession: TIME has become my idol. It determines not only when I can do something, but also how much I enjoy life. It controls my feelings, my thoughts, my actions. Truly unhappy in this frantic discontented, surreal life where I'm always looking back or looking ahead...rarely present in this moment. Must slow down, stop, laugh, play, relax a little. Life is passing me by, and yet it feels it hasn't arrived. MUST learn to make God the One who determines the state of my heart, mind, and being...not the clock. Desperate for peace, longing for rest. There IS enough time..."

Friday, April 18, 2008

Last Saturday my "Kristin-Friend" and I deserted our homes, responsibilities, and burdens. We enjoyed an entire day of SELF CARE and SCRAPBOOKING!!! This 12 hour crop was held at Chilliwack Alliance Church; it was a fundraiser for the local MOMs (Mentors of Mothers) group. To me, it was just a fabulous opportunity to ESCAPE :)

I was so sad on Friday night, because I wasn't packed and I had a terrible headache. I knew that my creativity mojo would not flow with such intense pressure on my head :( So, I took a really strong headache pill and prayed that God would heal me and give me His creative energy in the morning. I went to bed with my scraproom a terrible mess and nothing ready for our early morning start.

When the alarm sounded at 6:00, I awoke to a feeling I hadn't had in about a week: NO HEADACHE. Energized, ready to pop out of bed for my play date - THANK YOU JESUS for healing me just like I asked!!! YAY!

When Kristin and I arrived to our scrappin destination, we dragged our car-full of supplies inside a massive gym with plenty of space for us to spread out and PLAY. And, that's what I did. WITHIN an HOUR I had spewed my first page - record timing for me, seriously! It was like the ideas just couldn't WAIT to get out of my head!

Within 12 hours, I had created NINE pages...an unbelievable amount for those of you who know how I scrap (usually VERY slowly...)

WOO HOO!

What a feeling to come home with so much accomplished. And, yet, that wasn't my goal - it was just to sit and play and have fun. Maybe THAT's why I was able to do so much: absolutely no pressure.

Thanks for looking at the results of my "scrapgasm" as David called it - so happy with my fun pages, because they represent pure creativity, not forced "work." I've written some stories about the pages below...

This was the first page of the day ("us" above) - I had this idea in my head and had to get it out. The picture is taken by our friend Clint Botha - a soon-to-be-professional photographer (isn't it great?) Lots of the pictures in these next LOs use his photos - SUCH a great gift from him!

I had also created another page before this Caramel Apples one with my friend Jocelyn and I giving a thumbs DOWN to fall! But, it wouldn't scan properly...sad. Here's the story in the journalling of this Caramel Apples page which evolved from an 8.5X11 page into a 12X12:

"Once upon a time there was a little girl named Erika. She was trying to find her way home from her first day of school. She missed the bus and was lost, so she started walking - across a busy and dangerous street. Just when she started to panic, the local pastor's son saw her and walked her safely all the way home. When she finally arrived, she fell into her mother's arms and cried. But mom said, 'Everything is okay. You are safe and I have made you some caramel apples.'

Now the little girl is all grown up (it's me!) And, every September she makes her favorite autumn treat - just like Mom taught her (use only Kraft caramels). Reminds her of the comfort of Mom."

Last winter on a cold night our friends Brandon and Susan and I were riding home and we saw a stranded dog shivering cold. Brandon and Susan brought him over to our house and I cared for him overnight. He was old and stinky - clearly loved by SOMEone! He would slip and slide all over our flooring, as his legs were so stiff he couldn't keep his balance. He was the CUTEST little black poodle mix...so sweet. We made a little bed for him in the bathroom and he feel right to sleep. In the morning, we posted signs all over the neighborhood hoping to find his owner. Little Buster would have to be taken to the pound. When we had to say goodbye, I just started sobbing. I was going to miss that little guy.

We kept checking on him at the pound, and discovered that his owners did indeed pick him up. His real name was "Pepper." Awww...

Then only a few weeks later, I saw pepper again running along the sidewalk. A man was behind him and I rolled down my window and asked, "Is that Pepper?" The owner wondered how I knew his name, so I told him the story. What a cute little pup...

The rest of my pages just started flowing flowing flowing out of me. This last one is a little personal, but that's okay. It was great, because I had this idea on the car ride to the crop and then whipped this 8.5X11 page out in the LAST HALF HOUR of the event...couldn't believe I could scrap so fast!

About Me

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." I have so much - truly, I do - a wonderful husband, a beautiful baby girl, an adorable puppy, a relationship with a God who loves me. But, really...if I'm not THANKFUL, if I don't stop and CHERISH these things...how happy am I? Scrapbooking is so therapeutic for me for that reason: it makes me mindful of what I am blessed with!